How Can I Lead Worship With All My Strength?

I love to play basketball. I normally play a few times a week and there’s always a process to get ready. If I eat too much beforehand or don’t stretch and warm up or don’t wear the right clothes I know I won’t be at 100%.

And that’s no good. When I play I can’t help but go all out. I can’t help but use all my strength and skill to play the best I can. I’m not very interested in coming out just to mess around. It’s pretty common for me to play 3 or 4 games too many end up aching and completely exhausted.

Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m an average basketball player at best. But since I love to play I can’t help but play with all my strength.

The Greatest Commandment

Jesus taught us the greatest commandment. He said:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

I like to think that singing songs to the Lord with your church family is an incredible way to fulfill this commandment all at once.

When we allow ourselves to emotionally pour out our praise we love with our heart.

When we connect with eternity and anticipate heaven we love with our soul.

When we consider our God and the redemptive work of Jesus we love with our mind.

But how do we love God through sung worship with our strength?

2nd Chronicles give us an idea.

Sing With All Your Might

By chapter 2 Chronicle 29 Hezekiah begins reigning as the King of Judah.

Ahaz his father had lead the people further into idolatry but Hezekiah cleansed the temple. He called the Levites to consecrate themselves. He restored the temple worship by commanding the priest to make sacrifices on behalf of the people.

Finally it was time to celebrate the Passover. 2 Chronicles 30:21 gives us a glimpse into the uproarious scene.

“And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Fest of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the Priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord.”

They sang with all their might.

The Hebrew uses the language “With instruments of might”.

The NIV translations calls them “Resounding instruments”.

Or “Loud Instruments” in the KJV.

This is the same language used back in 1 Chronicles 13:8 when David is brining back the the Ark after it had been captured.

“And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.”

It takes strength, physical strength to lead worship with all-out passion. With enthusiasm. With energy. And this is good thing!

We should finish a Sunday absolutely spent. Poured out. Exhausted.

Standing, singing aloud, lifting our hands, clapping, kneeling. These are all ways of loving the Lord and worshipping Him with our strength. We use our outward posture to represent our inward adoration.

Gearing Up

I encourage you to think about how you may use more of your strength to love and worship the Lord. It may be hard to literally play our instruments with all our might in our modern, indoor, amplified Sanctuaries. We don’t want to blow any eardrums. But there are other ways to use our strength to honor God.

Just like I gear up for basketball, I also gear up for every Sunday morning. Getting rest, eating right, and managing my time are all things that allow me to worship with full strength.

Because of the blood of Jesus we have even more to celebrate under the New Covenant. Better than the Ark returning. Better than Temple Worship reviving. We have the very Presence of God within us through the Holy Spirit. We have been sealed for eternity. We have been redeemed completely. We who were once dead have been made alive in Christ Jesus.

Our God deserves all our strength.